US National News

SINGAPORE /Massachusetts Newswire: -- With Valentine's Day spending expected to reach a new high in 2026, last-minute shoppers are navigating an increasingly complex retail environment marked by higher prices, shorter promotional windows, and rapidly changing discounts. According to HotDeals.com, understanding where and how savings appear in the final days before February 14 has become just as important as choosing the gift itself.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Luvme Hair, a trusted brand of real hair wigs and hair extensions, announced the launch of Luvme Outlet, a new destination featuring up to 50% off select styles. The outlet brings together limited-time offers across popular looks, making it easier for customers to access quality, wear-ready options while Luvme Hair continues its focus on comfort, reliability, and customer-first shopping.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- With the 2025-26 college basketball season underway, long-time university, junior college and high school coach Michael Miller has formally retired from coaching, concluding a distinguished career spanning more than three decades and more than 750 victories, the University of Los Angeles College of Divinity announced today.

DES MOINES, Iowa /Massachusetts Newswire: -- iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Tech100 Mortgage list, marking the third time the company has earned the industry's top technology distinction. iEmergent was selected for its continued expansion of data-driven tools that help lenders identify where mortgage demand is emerging and how to act on it.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Tech100 Mortgage list, marking the third time the company has earned the industry's top technology distinction. The recognition reflects Argyle's continued product innovation and measurable impact across the mortgage industry.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with down payment programs, has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Mortgage Tech100 list. DPR first appeared on the HousingWire Tech100 list in 2017.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced it has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Mortgage Tech100 list, recognizing companies whose technology solutions are shaping the future of the mortgage industry. This marks the company's third appearance on the Tech100 list.

FRESNO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Vinyl Craft is an established, trusted vinyl fence material company that has operated out of its headquarters in Oxnard, California since 1997. In an effort to make its vinyl fencing and gate products more readily available to Central Californians, the team has expanded to a second location in Fresno.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced it has secured a contract on the United States General Services Administration's (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) under contract number 47QTCA26D002N.

PHOENIX, Ariz. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The Black Chamber of Arizona announced today the launch of Black History in Business: Fireside Chats Across Arizona, a four-part, in-person Black History Month business series held every Thursday in February from 7-9 p.m. The weekly events will spotlight Black-owned businesses and employer firms, highlighting their role in job creation, economic growth and community legacy across the state.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Friday Harbor has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Tech100 Mortgage list, an award that recognizes the most innovative technology companies shaping the future of mortgage lending. Friday Harbor was selected for advancing the use of artificial intelligence to bring underwriting insight earlier in the loan lifecycle, helping lenders surface and resolve potential issues before files reach final underwriting. Friday Harbor's approach has been adopted by approximately 25 lenders, including two of the top 10 independent mortgage banks.

TROY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Mortgage Tech100 list, recognizing the most innovative and impactful technology organizations serving the mortgage industry. Class Valuation has earned multiple Tech100 honors over the years, reflecting its sustained leadership in appraisal modernization through advanced technology, scale and data-driven workflows.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, has been named a 2026 HousingWire TECH100 winner. HousingWire selected FirstClose for its end-to-end lending platform that combines real-time property intelligence with automated workflows to help lenders accelerate decisioning, reduce operational friction and close loans faster.

BOULDER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Mortgage Tech100 list, which recognizes the most innovative and impactful technology organizations serving the mortgage and housing finance ecosystem.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Vertyx, a provider of intelligent mortgage servicing technology built for enhanced portfolio performance, today announced the completion of a milestone year marked by significant market expansion, increased platform adoption and continued innovation across compliance, security and community engagement.

TORRANCE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- DocMagic, Inc. announced today that it has once again been named to HousingWire's Tech100 Mortgage list, earning recognition every year since the program's inception. The annual award recognizes the most innovative technology companies transforming the mortgage industry.

KOWLOON, Hong Kong /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Are permanently deleted files really gone? Is there any way to recover permanently deleted files? It's now possible thanks to iToolab's breakthrough in data scanning and recovery. iToolab RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery V1.3.0 optimizes the scanning modes, offering a high success rate up to 99% for severe data loss scenarios.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- HitPaw Edimakor officially releases version 4.6.0 - bringing powerful new AI-driven upgrades to video and image editing. This major update focuses on smarter automation, smoother workflows, and higher-quality results - helping content creators, businesses, and everyday users produce professional visuals with far less effort.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced continued client momentum that includes a multi-year renewal with Arbor Bank and a new client signing with Covey Financial, as well as tighter integration of its Elevate℠ Loan Servicing Solution (Elevate) and the Empower® loan origination system (LOS).

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- PDFgear announces the launch of TextaVoice (TextaVoice.com), a completely free text-to-speech tool that turns text into natural-sounding audio in seconds. It provides online text to speech services with no sign-up, no ads, and no usage limits. TextaVoice is built by the team behind PDFgear, a widely recognized free alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

TORRINGTON, Conn. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Keystone Place at Newbury Brook recently welcomed Chief Bill Baldwin and members of the Torrington Police Department for a special breakfast honoring local police officers and recognizing their continued service to the community.

OWENSBORO, Ky. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn has been recognized as one of America's five most iconic buffets in a recent Fox News feature highlighting the nation's premier all-you-can-eat dining destinations. The family-owned restaurant joins an elite group that includes renowned establishments from Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Rhode Island.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- ViewTech Borescopes will return as an exhibitor at the annual Inspection Expo & Conference, the premier event dedicated to the welding inspection community. The event brings together leading welding inspectors, engineers, and industry professionals for two days of education, networking, and hands-on technology demonstrations.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) announced today that its annual Cursive Is Cool® handwriting contest is now open to students in Kindergarten through Grade 7, encouraging young writers to express themselves creatively through cursive handwriting.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's leading independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, today released results from the latest Pulse of the Network survey, along with an analysis examining how mortgage lenders are prioritizing technology, operational efficiency, and growth strategies amid continued market pressure.

HOUSTON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and leading remote online notarization (RON) provider for real estate and legal transactions, announced a standout year in 2025, having reached more than 2 million successful notarizations to date, including more than 238,000 notarizations completed this year. The company also doubled both its credit card transaction volume and the number of servicers using loss mitigation-related RON transactions through its real estate vertical, exemplifying growing industry adoption of digital solutions.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Comfort Appliance Repair Tennessee today warned Nashville homeowners that the standard advice to "drip faucets" during freezing weather is leaving one critical appliance vulnerable: the washing machine. As the city thaws from Storm Fern, owner Dennis Godynuk reports a surge in flooded laundry rooms caused by frozen intake valves that homeowners assumed were safe.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FineVoice, a leading AI voice generation platform, today officially announced the launch of FineVoice 3.0. Moving beyond standard functional iterations, this major upgrade delivers comprehensive enhancements in vocal expressiveness, emotional nuance, and creative flexibility. With FineVoice 3.0, users benefit from refined customization of tone, pacing, and delivery, empowering users to synthesize professional audio that resonates with the specific stylistic demands of all-encompassing content types

TROY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that Chris Flynn has been appointed chief operating officer. Flynn joined Class Valuation in April 2025 as chief data officer and has since played a central role in advancing the company's strategic, operational and product initiatives.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- "Living Story from East Africa," an AI-generated cinematic short created by storyteller and entrepreneur Chris Williams, has surpassed 28 million views on Instagram since its Jan. 23 release, based on the platform's publicly displayed view count on the post. Created using ChatGPT for story development and Sora 2 for video generation.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia /Massachusetts Newswire: -- "Love, Life and Mother Nature: Picture Book of Poems" (ISBN: 978-1834182124 released September, 2025 by Tellwell Publishing) by James C. Glassford is a poetry collection that explores the natural world as a source of reflection, learning, and emotional grounding. Paired with original photography, the book presents nature as both a physical environment and a place for personal contemplation.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Professor Scott B. Fulton distills five decades of functional aging research into a new practical self‑assessment framework that helps midlife adults see, and improve, their true healthspan trajectory. Fulton's latest book, 'FUNCTION' is a hands‑on guide organizing 44 simple self‑assessments into a five‑part functional portfolio

PANAMA CITY, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- George Gadson Studios proudly announces the unveiling of Legacy in Motion, a sculpture created for the newly rebuilt Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center in Panama City, Florida. Unveiled in conjunction with the Center's grand opening on January 16, 2026, the artwork stands tall at 17 ft as a genuine reflection of history, resilience, and intentional progress within the Glenwood Community.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- In his searing new book, "Addicted to Failure: Why the Rehab System Doesn't Work and What Must Change" (ISBN: 978-1968339876 paperback; 978-1968339883 ebook, Legacy Launch Pad Publishing), author and addiction reform advocate Jimmie Applegate takes aim at a $16 billion industry that profits from relapse and exposes why traditional rehab models fail to deliver real recovery.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- "Abused," the new single from international singer-songwriter Liyah Bey, is not a confession or a plea-it is a declaration. Built on restraint rather than release, the song gives voice to survivors of abuse by doing something rare in popular music: naming the truth plainly, without softening it.

ARGYLE, Texas, /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Scott's K9 has reached a significant milestone with over 4,000 dogs trained and placed globally. These protection dogs for sale range from police and government contract placements to private protection dogs. This is an achievement founder, Steve Scott, attributes to a differentiator most protection dog companies lack: authentic police K9 experience applied to family protection.

TORRANCE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- DocMagic, Inc., today announced that two of its executives have been elected to help lead Community of Practice (CoP) workgroups within the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) for the 2026-2027 term. Chief eServices Executive Brian D. Pannell will serve as vice chair of MISMO's Digital Interoperability CoP, and Director of Integration and Technical Services David Garrett will serve as vice chair of the eMortgage CoP.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dr. Harold Siegel, board-certified Senior Physician at Natural Transplants, Hair Restoration Clinic, has been named the number one surgeon on the prestigious list of Best Traction Alopecia Hair Transplant Doctors In The United States In 2026. This distinction recognizes Dr. Siegel as a premier authority in the industry, celebrating his mastery in delivering permanent solutions for complex hair loss conditions.

DENVER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced its acquisition of Basecap Analytics, an established enterprise data quality platform trusted by leading financial institutions. The acquisition enhances ACES' ability to deliver end-to-end quality management by expanding its platform to include enterprise-wide data quality automation.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Vertyx, a provider of intelligent mortgage servicing technology built for enhanced portfolio performance, today announced the release of Borrower Relationship Management, a new capability within its end-to-end mortgage servicing platform designed to help servicers and investors identify retention and recapture opportunities earlier, deliver timely outreach through borrower channels and measure engagement.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Elite Remodeling Seattle, formerly Elite Remodeling LLC, a design-build construction and renovation company serving the Greater Seattle area for nearly two decades, today announced a strategic rebrand and the release of a new consumer protection resource. This measure aims to prevent identity confusion between the independent, locally owned business and unrelated companies operating under similar names in other states.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry authority on homeownership program data and solutions, today released its Q4 2025 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report, identifying 2,619 programs. While the total count is five programs fewer than the prior quarter, it marked a 6% increase from a year earlier, rising from 2,466 programs in Q4 2024. The year-over-year (YoY) growth reflects continued expansion and refinement of program options amid persistent housing affordability challenges across much of the country.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced that its work in 2025 has introduced significant platform enhancements and expanded its integration ecosystem across credit and verification services. The company introduced new credit and verification capabilities, added multiple data and payroll partners, and enhanced automation through its unified platform.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Mooresville Ford is proud to announce it has been recognized with the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Award for the second consecutive year, reaffirming the dealership's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences. This prestigious award is presented to a select group of dealerships nationwide that consistently demonstrate outstanding customer satisfaction and integrity throughout the sales process.

ALAMEDA, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The alternative folk-rock duo Cosmic Spin has released "Messenger," an original song, newly re-mastered on the Pentacle Records label. The track features Bara Waters and Robert Cassard's lush vocal harmonies, with atmospheric layers of guitars and other effects. "Messenger" is available to stream now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and most other popular platforms.

TROY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that Tanya Wright has joined the company as Executive Vice President of Third-Party Origination (TPO) and Distributed Retail. Wright will serve on Class Valuation's Operations Leadership Team and oversee strategy, operations and client success for the company's broker and distributed retail channels.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The World Fertility Awards (WFAs), produced by pregnantish, the first global, consumer-facing media event dedicated to celebrating the changemakers shaping the future of fertility, took place on December 1, 2025 at the Times Center in New York City. Unlike traditional industry conferences, the event was designed to reach beyond clinical and professional audiences, uniting advocates, clinicians, innovators, industry leaders, and media to spotlight progress, purpose, and possibility in reproductive health.

LAKE ZURICH, Ill. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc. (Dovenmuehle), a leading residential mortgage subservicer, announced today that Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has affirmed its servicer quality (SQ) assessment as a servicer of prime residential mortgage loans at SQ2-. Moody's assessment highlights Dovenmuehle's strong performance and disciplined execution across key areas of mortgage servicing.

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia /Massachusetts Newswire: -- "Debris" (ISBN: 978-1834185095), is a new memoir by artist and writer Josie Lapiz Smith and released by Tellwell Publishing December 20, 2025. The book recounts a deeply personal story of love and survival shaped by the devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer Bushfires. Through quiet reflection and unflinching honesty, Josie documents her life with her husband, the emotional aftermath of losing him during the fires and the long process of rebuilding life while raising their young daughter alone.

TAMPA, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Here is a shocking fact. The second leading cause of lung cancer is Radon, says Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year are radon related and in Canada that number stands at approximately 3,000.

SHENZHEN, China and NEW YORK /Massachusetts Newswire: -- LumeFlow AI has officially announced the release of Web V1.4.0, bringing a powerful set of upgrades designed specifically for social media creators who rely on AI tools for fast, creative image and video production. This latest update strengthens LumeFlow AI's position as a versatile AI video generation tool, while expanding its capabilities in AI image creation and region-specific visual effects.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Franklin Madison is thrilled to announce the addition of Farah Rehman as Group Vice President, Revenue Execution. With 24 years of experience spanning product development, sales, marketing, and strategy, Farah brings a distinguished track record of helping build and scale insurance businesses to the executive leadership team.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, today announced 2025 results showing faster closings and measurable efficiency gains as lenders used its technology to meet rising home equity demand in a high-interest-rate environment. The company reduced closing timelines, expanded key integrations and strengthened its operating foundation to support scalable growth in 2026.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Industrial SalesLeads announced the December 2025 results of its Food and Beverage industry planned capital project spending report, pointing to a strong rebound in project activity. The firm, which tracks North American planned industrial capital projects including facility expansions, new plant construction, and major equipment modernization initiatives, identified 66 new Food and Beverage projects in December, up from 53 projects in November.

WARRENVILLE, Ill. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Raymond James Financial Services is proud to announce that Legacy Wealth Advisors has once again been named to the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list for 2026, marking four consecutive years of recognition in this prestigious national ranking. Legacy Wealth Advisors is known for its collaborative approach, ensuring clients benefit from the collective expertise of the entire team.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Third Sector Intelligence (3Si) today highlighted its Child Universal Success Platform (CUSP) Risk & Audit Analytics solution, a purpose-built tool that helps state agencies spot risks faster, audit smarter, and strengthen program integrity and provider support across publicly funded early childhood programs. Released in 2024, the solution has become increasingly relevant as states refine their early childhood systems and look for practical ways to use data for oversight, planning, and continuous quality improvement.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /Massachusetts Newswire: -- It's all too easy to fall behind on dental care given the constant demands and time constraints of day-to-day life. It can seem overwhelming to know where to start in order to get caught up. Legacy Dental specializes in working with patients who now have the time and resources to overcome those years of dental neglect, and who are ready to invest in their well-being and the revitalization of their smile.

LA VERNE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- As national attention increasingly turns toward brain health and healthy aging, Hillcrest, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community in Southern California, is translating research into daily practice by offering seniors brain-healthy foods at every meal, every day. Hillcrest is the only senior living community in the region to fully integrate the MIND diet, a science-backed lifestyle approach to maintaining cognitive strength through nutrition, into its daily dining.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- In his new book, "You Shouldn't Have to Kill to Get Ahead: Reimagining Wealth, Power and Belonging in America" (ISBN: 978-1968339180 [paperback]; 978-1968339173 [ebook]; 978-1968339197 [hardcover]; Legacy Launch Pad Publishing), author, Army Veteran and former political candidate Chris Rivers lays bare the broken promises of the American Dream and offers a path forward for a nation at a breaking point.